October 16, 2014 Edition

The world is falling behind in a desperate race stop the deadly Ebola outbreak, a top UN official warned. “It is far ahead of us, it is running faster than us, and it is winning the race,” said Anthony Banbury, head of the UN Mission for Ebola Emergency Response, told the UN Security Council in New York, by remote link from UNMEER headquarters in Accra, Ghana. The World Health Organization said the Ebola infection rate could soon reach 10,000 a week as world leaders prepared to hold talks on the crisis at the United Nations. The UN also acknowledged the safety concerns of member states like the Philippines, which have figured into the debate of whether or not to send health workers to help stem the disease in West Africa.

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A murder complaint has been filed against US Marine Private First Class Joseph Scott Pemberton before the Olongapo City prosecutor’s office on suspicion he killed a transgender Filipino. The prosecutor will determine if there’s enough evidence to bring Pemberton, who is in the custody of the US, to court. The October 11 slay prompted the US military command to put on hold the departure of its two ships off Subic Bay in the city. The Philippine government said it wants – and will seek – custody of Pemberton through a note verbale it plans to send to Washington. Prominent lawyer Harry Roque is the counsel of the family of the slain Jennifer Laude.

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Vice President Jejomar Binay may have harsh words against programs and officials close to President Benigno Aquino III, but he is not breaking up his friendship and alliance with the Chief Executive himself. “Vice President Binay remains an ally of the President. More importantly, he continues to be a real friend of the Aquino family,” said the Vice President’s spokesperson, Cavite Governor Juanito Victor Remulla. Quoting unnamed sources, the Inquirer reported on October 16 that the President and Binay met at the presidential palace last October 14, shortly after Binay slammed the Aquino administration’s controversial spending program, as well as Aquino’s allies for their orchestrated efforts to destroy Binay’s chances in the 2016 elections. The supposed meeting came in the wake of a series of corruption exposés against Binay and his family in Senate hearings initiated by Aquino’s allies.

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Will the United States catch the cold that has hit Europe? World markets reacted negatively on October 15 to new US data showing retail sales dropping 0.3% in September, the first drop in 7 months. Wall Street fell sharply at the open on the retail sales data, but quickly cut the losses. In Europe, London’s benchmark FTSE 100 index lost 1.46% to 6,299.24 points in afternoon deals, with Shire Pharmaceutical shares devastated by US giant AbbVie saying it would review its $54 billion takeover bid. “The very bad US figures are just adding to all the bad news we’ve had in Europe over the past few weeks,” said Saxo Banque analyst Andrea Tueni. A slew of weak figures out of China, Japan and the eurozone have fanned worries about the global outlook and sent investors running for the door in recent weeks, despite the US economy showing healthy growth.

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The clock is ticking and the Abu Sayyaf said it will kill one of its two German hostages on Friday, October 17, if demands are not met. In exchange for the hostages’ release, the terror group is demanding a $5.5-million ransom for the release of Stefan Viktor Okonek and Henrike Dielen, as well as Germany’s withdrawal from the US-led war on the jihadi group ISIS. The Abu Sayyaf posted photos of one of the hostages showing 71-year-old Okonek sitting in the middle of a freshly dug grave while 4 masked men pointed their rifles at him. They also put Okonek, a medical doctor, on radio via RMN in Zamboanga City. The two were on a holiday, on board a yacht, when they were taken by the Abu Sayyaf in April 2014 off Palawan province.

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A year after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit Central Visayas, only about half of the funds needed for the rehabilitation of Bohol, which suffered the most, has reached the province. Bohol needs an estimated $267.44 million to rebuild the towns devastated by the earthquake. Of this, approximately $133.72 million has been released by the national government and private and international donors, and cascaded to local government units. The governor said that while local tourism has bounced back it’s infrastructure that is left wanting. Delays in infrastructure projects are caused by several factors, such as the bureaucratic process. In some cases, buildings simply cannot be constructed even if the funds are ready. Some areas need to wait for the Mines and Geoscience Bureau to give a go-signal to build.

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Natural disasters claimed over 22,000 lives last year, with Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) in the Philippines the deadliest of all, the Red Cross said in its annual report on disasters. The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) warned that the outlook was bleak, saying that climate change and its consequences are shifting the world “into a new era of risk.” Yolanda, which struck in November 2013, slammed a massive storm surge into the city of Tacloban and surrounding communities in the eastern province of Leyte. At least 7,986 died, the IFRC said. The next-deadliest disaster was the June 2013 monsoon flooding in India, which killed 6,054 people.

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Will such an ambitious plan ever be completed, given Indonesia’s bad record on infrastructure projects? Jakarta has launched a multi-billion-dollar scheme to build a huge sea wall to combat flooding as the Indonesian capital sinks. The 35-kilometer wall, across the Bay of Jakarta off the city’s northern coast, is the centerpiece of a project that will cost up to $40 billion over three decades, and also includes reclaiming land for 17 new islands. While the aim is to prevent floods, it is hoped up to one million people will live and work on the islands, and help take pressure off a crowded city notorious as one of the world’s most uninviting urban sprawls. But there is skepticism about its chances of success in a country with a history of corruption and failed megaprojects.

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The Alexander Wang x H&M collection is here, and it’s time to take a closer look at the clothes. Explore the collection through these photos and videos, styled by Singapore’s Kovit Ang and photographed by Mun Kong. The collection is clearly inspired by sportswear while retaining the luxe, modern feel that’s characteristic of Alexander Wang’s design. Key pieces include the outerwear, cropped top, and tights – not to mention the beanie, emblazoned with “WANG.”

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The National University Bulldogs finally put an end to their 60-year title drought as they crushed the Far Eastern University Tamaraws, 75-59, on October 15 to bag the UAAP Season 77 men’s basketball championship. The Bulldogs finally claimed the title after 3 attempts since 2012. NU made it to the Final Four in Season 75 for the first time in 10 years bannered by two-time UAAP MVP Ray Parks. But they missed another shot last year despite finishing with the top seed after they were ousted by fourth-seed University of Santo Tomas in the Final Four. This season, they repeated against the Ateneo Blue Eagles and went on to complete the upset, becoming the first fourth-seeded team to go on and take home the crown. This comes 6 years after the Sy of SM Group of Companies acquired majority ownership of the school in 2008 and revamped its sports programs.

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